14 pictures: the land of Star Wars and Hannibal

History meets art in this underexplored African country

With its vast Mediterranean beaches and grand Roman colosseums, this tiny African country allows you to pretend you’re in Europe. Or “in a galaxy far, far away”—this is where much of Star Wars was shot, after all. The Arab Spring and its fallout may have pushed tourists away, but there’s no stopping anyone from taking a desktop tour of Tunisia.

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Photo: Ron Watts/Corbis

The Roman amphitheatre of El Djem was built around 238 AD and could seat 35,000 people.

Photo: Walter Bibikow/JAI/Corbis

Cape Bon, also known as the “Garden of Tunisia”, is famous for its vineyards, olive groves and beach resorts.

Photo: Keren Su/Corbis

A graveyard at Mahdia on the Mediterranean coast.

Photo: Nicolas Fauqué/ Corbis

The Carthage Hannibal train station, named after the military general, who was born here.

Photo: Nigel Pavitt/JAI/Corbis

Ruins of the Great Mosque at Kilwa Kisiwani, which dates back to the 10th Century.

Photo: Nigel Pavitt/JAI/Corbis

The island of Kilwa Kisiwani also has a 19th-century Arab fort of Gereza. The structure stands in place of a Portuguese fort, which was built 300 years earlier.

Photo: Jose Fuste Raga/Corbis

A rowboat on the dried lake bed of Chhot el Djerid

Photo: Dallas and John Heaton/Corbis

The Sidi Driss Hotel in Matmata, where the Star Wars films were shot. The hotel was used to depict the home of Luke Skywalker.

Photo: Hamideddine Bouali/Demotix/Corbis

Lightweight aircraft such as this are used to navigate short stretches of desert in Tunisia.

Photo: Sandro Vannini/CORBIS

The town of Kairouan has earned the UNESCO World Heritage status. Pictured here is the prayer room at the Great Mosque built in 670 AD.

Photo: Atlantide Phototravel/Corbis

Corinthian Columns at the archaeological site of Apollonia.

Photo: Nicolas Fauqué

Street art in Erriadh village on Djerba Island. Artists from around the world have collaborated to turn this village into an open-air art museum of sorts.

Photo: Nicolas Fauqué

Another exhibit from the Djerba Hood Project, which has turned Erriadh into a major tourist attraction.

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